Trolley-catcher.



Patentad nec. le, |902.

A THDDE TROLLEY CATCHER.

(Application led Sept; 25, 1902.)

(No Model.)

UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE..

ALBERT THODE, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

TROLLEY-CATCH ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 716,145, dated December 16, 1902.

Application filed September 25, 1902,. Serial No. 124.863. (No model) T all whom t may con/cern.' A

Be it known that I, ALBERT THODE, a subject ofthe German Emperor, and a resident of,

Hamburg,in the German Empire,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trolley-Catchers, of which the following isa speciiicatiou. Y

Thisinvention has relation to trolley-catchers for'overhead electrical-conduit systems,

and more particularly refers to improvements toothed rim wherewith the drum-casing is fit-` ted, an'd thus prevent any further rotation of the cord-drum, so that the cord maintaining the trolley-pole cannot be further unwound from such drum when in suchV intercepting devices the tension of the retaining-cord is temporarily relaxed or when by whipping down the trolley-pole such tension ceases altogether the arresting-lever pawls are by their springs swung out of engagement with the toothed rim and back to their position of rest. The mutual arresting action between the corddrum and drum-case in that case-is put an end to and does not recommence-until after the trolley-pole by springing` forward or up- Ward,and thereby drawing off a further length of cord, sets the cord-drum in sufficiently rapid motion. It will therefore be seen that the reliable locking and retaining of the trol.

ley-pole are not eected where such intercepting devices as above described are used.

Now the object of this invention is to obviate this disadvantage, first, by retaining the trolley-pole, if it should slip 0E the conducting-wire, lin a firm and reliable manner, and, further, by preventing under all circumstances any further unwinding of the holding-cord from the cord-drum. The desired object is attained by providing the cord-drum with a special spring-actuated arresting-pawl (or, if preferred, more than one such spring catch or pawl) and utilizing the outward oscillation of weighted swinglevers in :releasing such special pawl or pawls, Owhich thereupon are each by its spring immediately pressed into engagement with the toothed rim of the drum-case and caused to lock the corddrum in position irrespective of any swinging or whipping movements of the trolley-pole until the pawl has been released and brought back to its initial position by means of a special handle.

In order that my invention maybe more fully understood, I shall now proceed to describe the same in detail, reference being taken for that purpose to the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein-- Figure lis a vertical section on the line A B, Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 a horizontal section on the line C D, Fig. 1, of my improved catch device for trolley-holders.

Similar letters of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several figures.

According to this invention the case a, which by means of an extension or projection ct' is secured or suspended at a convenient point in any suitable manner, is fittedv with an inner rim with ratchet-teeth b and with a central-pivot or spindle c, upon which latter is mounted the cord-drum d, whereon the cord e, which holds the trolley-holder, (not shown,) is wound.

Aspiral spring f, housed in the interior of the cord-drum, one end of which is secured to the drum d and the other end to the aforesaid central spindle or pivot o, tends so to turn the drum as to cause any slack of the the present case to the lever g, is further attached a fiat spring 7c, which with its free-end rests upon a pin Zand tends to maintain said swing-levers in the position shown and also after the completion of their outward swing- IVOO ing movement to restore them to that posi-,

against the teeth b of the aforesaid toothed rim, so that the cord-drum is secured against rotary motion.

To the swing-lever g is attached an arresting-hook r, which passes over and engages with a pin s on the aforesaid arresting-pawl m the moment the said pawl is by means of the handle o swung inward in opposition to the pressure of its spring. It follows that the hook r maintains the pawl min a state of tension. This cocked position of the arrestingpawl m is shown in Figs. l and 2.

The operation of the improved catch device is as follows: Should the trolley slip off the conducting-wire, it immediately jumps upward and draws the cord e 0E the drum d, whereby such drum is set in rotary motion. As the drum rotates, the weighted swing-levers g g oscillate and the hook lr releases the arresting-pawl m, which thereupon is instantly by its spring swung outward into 4engagement with the toothed rim, thereby locking the drum in position within the drumcase a. The arresting-pawl m, which produces the locking effect described independently of the weighted swing-levers, will retain the cord-drum in the locked position, even if the weighted swing-levers, in the event of the pull upon the cord being relaxed or discontinued altogether, happen to be allowed to swing back to their position of rest. The intermittent or step-by-step release of the arrested cord-drum, to which reference has been made in the introduction or preamble and which is effected by the whipping or swinging movements of the trolley-pole when it happens to have left the conducting-Wire, is here entirely avoided by the independent locking action of the arresting-pawl fm. If after the trolley-pole has been replaced' in contact with the conducting-wire and properly adjusted it be desired to release the arresting-pawl and to move it back to its previous cocked position, it is swung inward by means of the handle 0 until its pin s engages with the hook r, or until this hook snaps or springs over the said pin. The catch device is then ready for use once more, so that if the trolley-holder should again slip or jump off the conducting-Wire it will immediately secure the cord-drum in place as before.

Having fully described my invention, what point of the pawl acts I claim, and desire ent, is-

1. A trolley-catcher, comprising a trolleyoperating rope-winding mechanism, locking mechanism connected thereto, a support adapted to be engaged by the locking mechanism, means constantly tending to move said locking mechanism into engagement with the support, and restraining mechanism restraining said movement of the locking mechanism, said restraining mechanism iniiuenced by centrifugal action to release the locking mechanism; in combination with means for disengaging the locking mechanism from the support and moving it into engagement with the restraining mechanism, for the purpose set forth.

2. A trolley-catcher, comprising a trolleyoperating rope-winding mechanism, locking mechanism connected thereto, a support adapted to be engaged by the locking mechanism,means constantly tending to move said locking mechanism into engagement with the support, and restraining mechanism restraining said movement of the locking mechanism, said restraining mechanism influenced by centrifugal action to release the locking mechanism; in combination with means to be operated by hand to disengage the locking mechto secure by Letters Patanism from the support and move it into engagement with the restraining mechanism, for the purpose set forth.

3. A trolley-catcher comprising a trolleyrope-winding drum, locking mechanism connected thereto, a support adapted to be engaged by the locking mechanism and organized to lock the drum against rotation in one direction only, means constantly tending to move the locking mechanism into engagement with said su pport, and a restraining mechanism restraining said movement of the locking mechanism, said restraining mechanism inliuenced by centrifugal action to release said locking mechanism; in combination with means to be operated by hand, for disengaging the locking mechanism from the support and moving it into engagement with the restraining mechanism,forthe purposesetforth.

4. A trolley-catcher, comprising an internally-toothed casing,a trolley-operating ropewinding drum,a locking-pawl pivoted thereto and adapted to engage the teeth on the casing, a spring acting on the pawl to move the' same into engagement with said teeth, and weighted levers linked together for mutual operation, one ofsaid levers provided with a catch adapted to engage the pawl; in combination with hand-operated means for disengaging the pawl from the teeth of the drum and moving it into engagement with the aforesaid catch, for the purpose set forth.

ALBERT THODE. Vitnesses:

MAX LEMCKE, E. H. L. MUMMENHOFF.

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